Rin's Message and Sesshomaru's Promise
by Amara Anon
Summary: Sequel to Rin's Smile and Sesshomaru's Decision. Fifty years after Rin and Sesshomaru part ways, Rin is dying. And there's only one person she wants to see...
1. The Gift

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

_Author's Note: This story is a sequel to Rin's Smile and Sesshomaru's Decision. I highly suggest that you read that story first before proceeding with this one to understand the context._

**Chapter One: The Gift**

It was fifty years since Sesshomaru had left Rin in the village. In that time, she had gotten married, and had children, and her children had children. She lived a long, full life, surrounded by family and love.

But now, Rin was very old. Her husband Maruji had died years ago, leaving his beloved wife all alone. Their children had families of their own. Rin found her home, which had once been full of life and vigor, was now quiet and hollow.

It was during these times that Rin's thoughts began to wander to days of old, memories that she'd pushed to the back of her mind ever since her life became one with her husband's.

Rin had not seen Sesshomaru since that day when he came to take her back from the village. Rin refused him, and they parted. Sesshomaru never tried again to take her back, nor did he ever come to visit her.

Inwardly, Rin was glad. She had made her decision and was able to live out her life. It would have been harder for her if Sesshomaru tried to interfere.

But now, Rin knew deep within her heart that her life was nearing its end, and there was one person she desperately wanted to see before it was over. It was time to utilize his gift.

Shortly after she'd married Maruji, Rin discovered an elaborate golden birdcage mysteriously placed in her home. In the cage was a small bird demon, and tied to its leg there was a note, which read simply, "_If you ever need me._"

Rin never told Maruji about the note. She merely said to him that the bird was a wedding gift, and left it at that. Rin took care of the bird all these years, and regarded it fondly as her pet. She never once let it out of its cage.

Now, Rin took out her good parchment, ink, and brush. It was early still; the sun had not yet risen fully, and Rin's aged eyes struggled in the faint light. She managed to write a short message, and tied the note to her bird's leg with a red string. Then, for the first time, Rin took the bird out of its cage, and set it free!

It flew off, just as the sun climbed over the horizon. The morning's fiery rays ran through the bird's wings as it flapped furiously away, and was soon lost amongst the clouds.

"I pray," Rin said as she watched the bird disappear, "That you are able to find him after all this time."

Rin sighed, and then whispered, "There is nothing more I can do now except hope."

Then, Rin lay down slowly and with difficulty in her old age. She stared out her window, and struggled to breathe, rasping a bit.

"Please, let me last long enough to see him one more time," she prayed.

She watched as the sun climbed to its highest peak, and then began the lonely journey back down to earth.

Rin waited.


	2. The Message

**Chapter Two: The Message**

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken's shrill voice called. "_Lord Sesshomaruuu!_"

Jaken was running through the halls of Sesshomaru's castle as fast as his squat toad-like legs would carry him, frantically searching for his lord, and holding something small in his hands.

"Where could he be?" Jaken thought, utterly perplexed as he finished searching the last room. "Unless he's . . ."

Jaken's suspicion was confirmed when he found Sesshomaru outside at the back of the castle. The regal looking demon was seemingly lost in thought, staring at the striking white blooms that made up his garden.

The garden hadn't always been there. Sesshomaru had ordered its existence fifty years ago. It was one of his mysterious, unexplained decisions that Jaken never questioned. Although this time, Jaken didn't have to ask why Sesshomaru suddenly wanted a garden—nor did he wonder why it contained only one type of flower.

Sesshomaru had demanded the garden soon after the day when he went back for Rin. Jaken still remembered that day vividly, so shocking had it been when Sesshomaru returned to him empty-handed. The scene was etched into Jaken's mind forever.

He'd been waiting patiently in the woods at sunset for Sesshomaru's return. Sesshomaru wanted to claim Rin alone—that much was plain to Jaken, even though Sesshomaru never stated his intentions. But Jaken felt it was obvious that that was what he planned to do. Why else would Sesshomaru have run so suddenly and so desperately back to the very village where he had abandoned Rin the year before?

Secretly, Jaken was excited at the prospect of getting Rin back. "Now things will be back to normal," Jaken thought. "Lord Sesshomaru will be himself again."

But shortly after dusk, Sesshomaru arrived—alone.

"L-L-Lord Sesshomaru," Jaken stuttered, wholly bewildered, "Are you sure you finished your business here?"

Sesshomaru barely glanced at Jaken, his face expressionless. He stated simply, his voice low, "I have no business here."

Then Sesshomaru headed back toward the west without another word. He no longer carried any urgency in his steps, as though he had resigned himself to some fate that he had no desire to meet.

But in some ways Sesshomaru changed for the better after that trip. Jaken still sensed a void in him from Rin's absence, but he also sensed something new dwelling inside Sesshomaru—closure.

On the journey back home, Sesshomaru and Jaken came across a field of wildflowers. Again, Sesshomaru spotted a pure white flower like the one he had once bestowed to Rin. But instead of crushing it under his foot like last time, Sesshomaru announced that Jaken was to gather flowers of this kind and make a garden of them for the castle.

In this way, a part of Rin stayed behind with Sesshomaru. He no longer tried to forget her existence. Rather, he accepted that she had once been a part of his life, just as one mourns the loss of a loved one but keeps them in their heart.

And so, now Jaken found Sesshomaru in his garden, contemplating. Sesshomaru didn't often visit the garden, but on the rare occasion when he did, Jaken made sure not to disturb him. He knew that Sesshomaru was thinking of Rin.

Time does not pass for immortals the way it does for humans. Demons have no need for the counting of years. Time passes by as if it does not pass at all. And so, although fifty years had gone by since he parted with Rin, a lifetime of aging and changing for a mortal, to Sesshomaru it was a blip in his long memory. Rin was still close to his heart and mind.

Jaken hesitated before approaching his lord, fearful of disrupting him. But Jaken was even more afraid of how Sesshomaru would react if he didn't inform him of such an urgent matter right away, so he swallowed his reservations and spoke up.

"Lord Sesshomaru? There's something you need to see."

Sesshomaru made no motion, but Jaken edged cautiously toward him.

"You see, Lord Sesshomaru, _this_ arrived here a short while ago . . ." Jaken presented him with the small object he held in his hands. It was a bird demon with a red string binding a note to its leg.

Sesshomaru glanced at what Jaken held from the corner of his eye, as though fully disinterested. But then when he saw the creature in Jaken's hands, his eyes widened a bit.

"Lord Sesshomaru," Jaken began timidly, "Isn't this the bird you had—"

But before Jaken could finish his question, Sesshomaru had snatched the bird out of his hands with one graceful swipe. He untied the crimson string from the beast's leg, dumped the bird back into Jaken's hands, and opened the message.

Jaken was too short to see what the note said, but he trembled excitedly as Sesshomaru read it, as though he could predict its contents.

The message was crudely short, consisting of only two small words.

_Please come._

In one swift motion, Sesshomaru reached over and picked the white flower closest to him, and then tied it to the bird's leg with the same crimson string.

"Quickly," he instructed it coldly. And the creature flew off back toward the east with incredible speed, faster than any demon could run.

Then Sesshomaru grabbed Jaken. "Hold on," he said gruffly. He narrowed his eyes, and made to follow the path of the bird.

Sesshomaru hurried.


	3. The Renewal

**Chapter Three: The Renewal**

Rin was lying down in her home, crimson rays caressing her body through the window as the sun made its final steps toward Earth. The day was almost spent.

"I waited . . . too long to contact him," Rin thought solemnly. Tears started slowly running down her lined cheeks. "I so wished to see him again," she sighed. "But what a fool I've been. He couldn't possibly want to see me after all these years."

A pain pierced Rin's heart like a knife as a new, terrifying thought graced her mind. "Or what if . . . he simply forgot me?"

Rin clutched her blanket desperately with withered hands. "Yes, that's it," she lamented with resign. "Sesshomaru is the Lord of the Western Lands. He has had many great matters to attend to during all this time."

Rin started to close her eyes slowly. She could feel the life dripping out of her like sand through an hourglass. Her time was running out.

"He forgot me a long time ago . . ."

Rin's eyes almost finished closing, when suddenly a flash of pink zoomed through the window. Rin opened her eyes abruptly.

"What?" she cried.

It was her beloved pet bird demon. It hopped over to her, cooing softly, and Rin gently stroked its head.

"My dear friend," she murmured. "At least you've come back to me." Rin forced a smile. "I didn't want to be alone when I . . ."

But Rin trailed off. In the failing light, her elderly eyes hadn't noticed the gift the bird bore. But as she focused more closely on the bird, she realized there was something tied to his leg. What was it . . .?

Rin gasped as she recognized the object, and a fresh bout of tears flowed from her eyes. It was the most beautiful flower she had ever seen, a luxuriant full bloom with petals of rich, luscious sparkling white.

Rin's heart started pounding in her chest feverishly as she recognized what the flower meant. A new determination began coursing through her veins.

"I must live, just a while longer. I must!"

She was old. She was tired. But she was strong. And so, with great effort, Rin forced her eyes to stay open, and looked toward the sinking sun, the white blossom clutched firmly in her grasp.

Rin breathed.


	4. The Acquiescence

**Chapter Four: The Acquiescence**

The young woman was working tirelessly in the fields at the outskirts of the village. The sun was setting, and its amber waves outlined the black silhouette of her body. All the other laborers had already packed up and left for the comforts of home and dinner, family and love. But the young woman stayed behind, determined to work as long and as hard as she could push herself that evening.

Even though she was sweaty and tired, her muscles aching already from a full day of exertion, the woman emanated a smile from her face and a song from her voice. It was a joyful tune, painting a picture of a contented and rewarding life.

The woman went on singing, hardly glancing up from her work, and so she didn't notice the demon's approach until he was fairly close to her. The sinking sun outlined his body such that he appeared to be glowing luminously. He was tall and formidable; he almost looked like royalty.

The woman didn't realize he was a demon until it was too late to run. She had never seen a demon before, though she'd heard many tales of them. They were extinguished from the region mysteriously, long before she'd been born. And so, she'd merely thought it was a lone traveler, looking to stay at the village inn perhaps, until he was a dozen meters away from her. From that distance, she could see the unusual markings on his face. But it was the strange shape of his ears that clinched it for her. That was the distinguishing feature she'd learned about from many a myth the village elders told.

The woman dropped the hoe she was working with, quivering fearfully as the demon approached. She was alone and vulnerable, too far off from the village for anyone to hear cries for help. The only thing she could do was wait for death.

The demon worked his way steadily in her direction. He could only be coming to attack her. Her brothers would find her mangled body in the morning when they came to work in the fields. That is, if she left any remains at all . . .

Visions of her shredded corpse flooded the woman's mind, and her legs could barely stand for all their trembling. The demon was only two meters away now. This was it. This was the end.

She closed her tearful eyes tremulously, waiting for the killing blow.

"_Rin?_"

The woman opened her eyes. The demon was standing next to her now. But instead of baring his fangs with claws outstretched, ready to lunge in attack like the woman had anticipated, he was standing motionless, a calm expression on his face.

The woman couldn't help but gasp a bit as she gazed at his features up close like this. This was not the face she'd thought a demon would have. Certainly it was not the face of the demons in the tales she had spent her childhood listening to in awed rapture. This face was . . . the woman couldn't believe she actually thought this about a demon, but this face was . . . _elegant_.

"Rin?" the demon repeated, now with a slight hint of consternation in his eyes. The woman blinked in surprise. He'd said the name with such . . . _care_. Even though he barely showed any emotion on his face, she got the distinct impression that the demon was in a state of disbelief.

Once she realized the demon meant her no harm—at least for now—it took the woman a few moments to compose herself. Her legs stopped trembling, and she stared up at the demon in bewilderment and wonder. All of a sudden, something clicked in the woman's subconscious, and without realizing what she was saying, she uttered, "Rin . . . could you mean . . . _Nana_?"

* * *

Sesshomaru turned from the woman and ran swiftly toward the village. He'd wasted precious seconds on that fake.

He cursed himself for acting so foolish. That woman's scent smelled nothing like Rin's. And yet he had let himself be drawn to her, merely because she resembled Rin—or at least, the Rin he remembered.

Once again, he'd left Jaken at the edge of the woods, and entered the outskirts of the village alone. When he saw the young woman standing there, joy on her face and hope in her voice, the dying sunlight coloring her so that she looked like a crimson rose, Sesshomaru abandoned all rationality and thought he was looking once again upon his beloved Rin.

Now, Sesshomaru's mind raced as fast as his legs. Rin . . . _his_ Rin . . . the woman he'd known since she was a child . . . was a _grandmother_? How many years had it been since they'd parted? Sesshomaru didn't know for certain, but he came to the realization that for mortals it had been a very long time. But that must mean . . . Rin was an old woman now?

Sesshomaru had never associated with humans other than Rin, but he searched through his memory for images of old women that he'd had fleeting glimpses of while traveling. The old women Sesshomaru had seen were short and fat, with pallid faces like melting candle wax. Could his Rin, so tall and slender, so rosy and vibrant, possibly look like _that_?

But, if so much time had passed—if Rin was so old now—why did she contact him? When Sesshomaru had left that bird for Rin, that gift, as a means to reach him, he intended it to be used right away. He figured maybe Rin would come to her senses; maybe she'd realize quickly that she wasn't meant to be with that other man, that young farmer, and she'd send for Sesshomaru to take her away from there.

But Rin never sent for him. Sesshomaru waited, and the bird never came. His effort had been in vain, he soon accepted. Rin was lost to him, and he would never get her back.

Then, Jaken brought him that bird, and it was as though no time had passed since he left Rin. Her image was fresh in his mind, and his body filled with the urge to see her again, to _be_ with her again. "Now things will be as they should be," he'd thought. "Now Rin and I can live our lives together."

As Sesshomaru neared the dwelling he last saw fifty years ago, the one where he'd left the golden birdcage—the one where Rin lived—he let out a sigh of acceptance. He realized how foolish he'd been, how he let his hopes cloud his reason. It had been too long, far too long, for him and Rin to start anew.

Sesshomaru converged upon the entrance, and stopped before it. It had all come down to this moment. He would go through that doorway, and meet his fate. He hoped he would be greeted by answers—but most of all, he wished to be greeted by Rin. The woman he loved. The woman who got away.

Sesshomaru entered.


	5. The Promise

**Chapter Five: The Promise**

_Inhale . . . exhale . . . inhale . . . exhale . . ._

Rin chanted this mantra in her mind over and over, willing herself to breathe, to hold onto life long enough for his arrival.

He'd sent the flower to her. He hadn't forgotten her. He was going to join her. It was all Rin needed to battle within herself for control. Her mind was strong and alert, but her body was weak and failing. She could barely move her limbs now. It took all of her concentration to keep her lungs in motion. She gripped firmly at the flower in her hand as though it were life itself.

Rin was so focused on the chant in her mind, on the inner war her body was fighting, her eyes staring blankly at the flower in her grasp, that she almost didn't notice the gentle noise.

_Creak_.

Something had entered her home. Rin blinked several times as though awakening from a trance, and averted her gaze from the flower to the doorway. Standing there was a tall figure, a shadowy silhouette, its outline illuminated by the sun's last feeble rays.

The figure started walking toward her, and Rin's tired eyes toiled to adjust to the new light flowing into her home. Now the shadow knelt down next to her, and Rin squinted up at it. Suddenly, her eyes came into focus and she beheld the face before her.

Rin let out a cry.

It was Sesshomaru. And he didn't look as though a day had gone by since they'd parted.

Rin clutched the flower desperately as her mind raced. _How could that be?_ _How could Sesshomaru remain as the man who lived in her memory? Surely after all this time, he would show _some_ sign of change? _

There could only be one explanation, Rin realized with fear. She must have died during her trancelike struggle to breathe. This must be the afterlife. The Sesshomaru before her was a figment of the otherworld.

Rin trembled, and strained to reach her hand out to touch him. So ethereal and beautiful he looked as the sunset's golden light washed over him. He couldn't possibly be real. Rin's hand, so fragile and delicate, hovered slightly above her body, her fingers outstretched toward Sesshomaru. She tried to make them go further, to reach out and pass through the apparition of Sesshomaru's form, but her strength failed. Her hand could move no further.

The Sesshomaru spirit regarded her heavily, as though contemplating deeply. He wore a solemn face, but his eyes were sparkling. He noticed Rin's hand reaching out to him, and with one graceful motion, so swift that Rin didn't realize what he was doing until it was over, instinctively Sesshomaru had taken Rin's hand in his own and held it against his fair cheek.

"Oh!" Rin cried, her fingers brushing against his skin. His cheek. It was _solid_. And _warm_.

"_Sesshomaru?_" Rin heard her voice say tentatively. Rin could hardly believe it was truly he. It wasn't an apparition. She was still alive.

"_Rin_," he whispered, his voice sounding as though for once it had been overcome with emotion. "My dear Rin." He clasped her hand firmly with his own against his cheek so that Rin was holding his face. To feel him like that after a lifetime apart, to be able to hold him even though her body was too weak to do it on its own, was the greatest gift Rin had ever received.

Rin didn't realize she was crying until she heard one delicate tear fall to the floor with a soft _clink_. Then she noticed that her breath was rasping faintly as her heart beat faster.

Rin and Sesshomaru stayed there together like that, fully content to bask silently in the other's presence while the sun lowered its head ever closer to the earth.

* * *

Sesshomaru could hardly believe the sight that met his eyes. 

He had entered the home blindly, not knowing what to expect. He could only imagine that Rin would look like the old women he had seen occasionally on his travels, grouchy hags with sharp features and waxy skin.

But when Sesshomaru walked into Rin's home, he beheld an angel laying on the floor, a slender woman with shrunken but graceful limbs. Snowy hair crowned her face, which, though lined, had a rosy glow. The woman's body appeared weak, as though it had spent all its energy, but her eyes radiated vibrantly.

Sesshomaru knelt down by her side. He heard the cry of recognition escape her lips. He saw the tenderness in her eyes. And when her hand reached towards him, he knew that it was Rin—older, perhaps, frail and wrinkled, perhaps—but it was_ Rin_. _His Rin_. He held her hand against his face then, and when she spoke his name, he could not contain himself any longer. His throat cried out her name, and he watched serenely as tears slid down her delicate face.

They stayed silent for a while, until suddenly a flush came to Rin's cheeks and she whispered, "I'm so ashamed. Here you are, after all this time, and you look exactly as I remember you. And here I am, such an old woman. To you I must look—"

"Beautiful," Sesshomaru murmured. "You look beautiful."

Rin gazed into his eyes, her mouth slightly agape. She saw his earnestness, and flushed once again.

Then, without warning, Rin went into a coughing fit. It racked her body for a few terrifying moments, and then subsided into a disquieting wheeze.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. He saw Rin struggling for breath. "You're dying," he stated in a monotone. Then, he stood up with resolve. "I wondered why you sent for me, after so many years. Now I understand."

He drew his sword, his birthright, the Tenseiga, and stared at Rin below him. Lying there, so weak, so helpless, she brought an image to his mind of a little girl he once found lying dead, surrounded by wolves.

"So," he said, "You called me to your side so that I could revive you once again, Rin."

It was a while before Rin could answer him. She was still trying to catch her breath from the hacking fit. When she was ready, she struggled to speak.

"No," she cried, her words punctuated by desperate gasps for breath, "You mu-mustn't use Tenseiga!"

Sesshomaru's eyes widened but he made no attempt to speak.

"That's not why I called you here," Rin went on, rasping. "My time . . . has come, and I accept that. I have . . . nothing more in this life to give."

For the first time in his long life, Sesshomaru was puzzled. Slowly, he sheathed Tenseiga. "Then why," he started to ask, weighing each word, "Why did you call me here?"

A small smile came to Rin's face. "I wanted to see you . . . one last time," she said. "When humans realize their time is coming to a close, they start to think about the ones who had . . . the biggest impact on their lives. The ones they hold closest to their heart." Rin looked up at Sesshomaru with sorrowful eyes.

Pain racked Sesshomaru's chest. He had never before pondered mortality, a concept so foreign to his demon heart. To live a short life, to die a natural death, such was the fate of all humanity. Stubbornness grew in Sesshomaru then, a selfishness he'd never before known consumed him. "It's unfair," he thought. "To be parted from the ones you love."

But life had already parted him from Rin. Why should death be any different? His mind wandered to that fateful day when Rin left his side forever, when she chose to stay behind in the village.

"Rin," he murmured, staring at her, "Do you ever have . . . any regrets?"

A peaceful look came upon Rin's face, and she said serenely, "No, Sesshomaru. I have no regrets . . . I loved my husband. I only have to look into the faces of my children and grandchildren . . . to know that I made the right decision."

The mention of grandchildren triggered a new thought in Sesshomaru's mind. "I met your granddaughter a short while ago, Rin," he uttered, "She was working in the fields."

Rin's eyes widened. "You did? Hmm, working in the fields this late . . . that must have been Mitara . . . . People say that she looks like I did when I was young," Rin murmured thoughtfully.

"Almost," Sesshomaru answered softly. "She looks almost as beautiful as you."

The two remained quiet then. The sun had almost finished setting, and it bathed them in a soft crimson glow. The only sound that could be heard was the faint wheezing of Rin's breath. Gradually, the wheezing became louder. It was getting harder and harder for Rin to breathe. Sesshomaru couldn't stand seeing Rin struggling for air like that.

Rin was still holding Sesshomaru's white flower in her hand. Rin motioned to it, and said, "Thank you . . . for this. It's what gave me . . . the strength to hold on."

Sesshomaru nodded silently, his throat tightening . . . . Why was his face wet?

"Tell Master Jaken . . . good-bye for me . . ." Rin murmured.

Sesshomaru clasped her hand to his chest then. He clung to it more and more firmly, as though if only he could keep her close, she wouldn't be able to leave him.

"I don't know what awaits me . . . in the next life," Rin managed to say between slow breaths. She gazed deeply into Sesshomaru eyes now, so deeply that she may very well have gazed straight through to his soul. Her own eyes were shining. "_This_ life . . . was not meant for _us_. But perhaps . . . we can be together . . . someday . . . ."

Rin stopped then. Only a sliver of the sun remained now above the horizon. The last of the day's light was almost gone.

Rin looked at Sesshomaru one last time, her eyes solemn.

"Follow me," she begged.

Sesshomaru could barely get his voice to work.

"I promise."

Rin did something then that Sesshomaru was not prepared for. She _smiled_. Then, she closed her eyes gently, and saw no more.

The sun finished setting. Sesshomaru sat there alone in the blue twilight.

"_I promise._"

* * *

Sesshomaru and Jaken stood hidden at the edge of the woods while Rin's many children and grandchildren buried her. Sesshomaru could see Mitara standing next to the headstone, sobbing and clutching a younger brother in her arms. Slowly, Rin's relatives started to retreat back to their homes. 

Sesshomaru and Jaken waited a long time until the last of them had left. Then they approached Rin's grave. Sesshomaru laid a beautiful white flower upon the newly tilled earth.

"It reminds me of you," he whispered.

Sesshomaru stood there for a long time, contemplating the blossom as it stared back up at him.

It was many, many years later when Sesshomaru followed Rin.

_Rin was waiting._

**THE END**

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* * *

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_Author's Note: I can't thank you enough for reading this story. Writing it has meant a lot to me. Part of it was based on my own experience losing someone close to my heart._

_As always, reviews and constructive criticism are appreciated. If you review, please answer these questions for me:_

_1) Has the quality of my writing improved at all since my first story, "Rin's Smile and Sesshomaru's Decision"?_

_2) Which story did you enjoy reading more, "Rin's Smile and Sesshomaru's Decision" or "Rin's Message and Sesshomaru's Promise"?_

_Thanks again,_

_Amara Anon_


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